Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Ok, Katie, YOU try it

Yesterday, Katherine Kersten - Katie to you, boys and girls - offered a vicarious rebuttal to Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickel and Dimed. She tells the stirring story of Adam Shepard who, according to Katie, proved Ehrenriech wrong when she said:

Her dire conclusion: America condemns its unskilled workers to a life of poverty and hopelessness.

Shepard, young, healthy and unmarried, without kids and possessing a strong back, proved the American Dream was alive, alive she tells you!

Did he become a professional or part of management somewhere, Spot?

Well, not exactly, grasshopper. The 'Farian and Charlie both have really good critiques of the column, so Spot won't repeat their points here.

Anyway, Spot challenges Katie to put her money where her mouth is. She can go undercover as the recently widowed or divorced 50-ish spouse of a small business owner who has had some reversals over the last few years and spent their savings and cashed in the life insurance: all the money is gone. You can't say, of course, that you have any education beyond high school.

Spend six months, Katie. Spot will even stake you to a bus ticket anywhere in the continental 48; hell, he'll send you to Mexico, if you want.

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